With the exception of natural leaning midwives and OBs, it’s surprising how little most care providers know about prenatal health.
They tell moms to take a basic, low quality, prenatal from CVS, they give poor nutritional advice, and give zero guidance on the importance of light exposure whilst pregnant.
If they mention DHA, the topic of this article, they tell you to stay far away from fish and instead recommend taking a rancid fish oil supplement. You would think DHA would be a high priority point of discussion, given its invaluable place within a developing babies body!
Finding a doctor who can take the time to stay up to date on research is rare. This is why I endorse self research and being the CEO of your health. Today, we will talk about being the CEO of your little baby’s health. Although, you don’t need to be a parent to find this article intriguing, most could benefit from a fundamental understanding of DHA. So lets get into that fishy molecule!
So what is DHA?
DHA, in the proper sn-2 position (the usable form of DHA), is most commonly found in fatty fishes, oysters, shellfish, and, in smaller amounts, lamb. Our bodies don’t make DHA, so the only way we can get it is through food sources.
Despite being a single fatty acid, DHA makes up to 20-25% of the brains lipid content. Your brain craves it more than any other nutrient!
When you realize the brain consumes roughly 20% of the body’s energy, you’d be correct in assuming DHA is a form of rocket fuel.
During the third trimester, babies need roughly 50-70mg a day of DHA from mom. There is no more important nutrient than DHA for a developing little baby. Inadequate DHA levels result in a 10 fold increase in premature birth, uh, hello? That should sound off the alarm bells.
Why is it so vital?
DHA is an essential component of developing myelin. Just like electronic cables need a rubber sheathing around them, so too does the brain and nervous system. Instead of rubber, our bodies use myelin to serve that function, shielding and insulating our precious electrical charge.
Myelination begins during the third trimester of pregnancy and continues through infancy, adolescence, and early adulthood. It correlates with developmental milestones like walking, speech acquisition, and complex cognitive abilities. For example, when your toddler draws pictures on your freshly painted wall with a orange crayon!
You don’t have to understand anatomy to understand the importance of myelin. Imagine a robot who had poor insulation for its electrical system; it would misfire and fail at basic functions. That’s what inadequate myelin would do to the nervous system.
If our bodies are essentially a massive power plant, with power lines, transformers, generators, how could we build out that infrastructure without copper and rubber?
We need a way to channel our energy and make sure the DC current flows congruently and effectively. In effect, that’s myelin and DHA. With that in mind, lets transition to DHA’s role in the cell membranes.
DHA and Cell Membranes
Cell membranes make up a massive portion of the cells overall health. Why? Well, if you didn’t have locks on your doors, a security system for your home, or simply even a door for your home, how safe would everyone and everything inside of it be?
This is how cell membranes can be viewed; they regulate what comes in, they communicate via electrical signals to other cells, and manage the cells resources. Its almost like membranes have a brain of their own.
So how does DHA play into this? Well DHA makes sure those membranes stay flexible and lubricated. A rigid cell membrane is not going to perform those tasks very well, just think of what happens when your car’s engine runs out of oil.
Think of how a developing baby/infant’s brain might need and crave DHA? Babies brains are highly moldable (think of myelination once more), and neurons especially need to be flexible as they are constantly changing, also known as neuroplasticity.
Your brain is constantly changing and adapting to its latest stimuli. I will give an example; numerous studies have shown how detrimental addiction can be for the brain. It quite literally changes one’s brain and their neural pathways and can be quantified using a brain scan.
Since the brain is moldable, whether for good or bad, we know should realize the importance of providing the proper nutrients so children can learn and function with the utmost advantage.
Summary
Moral of the story, if you want your Childs development to be exceptional, make sure they receive adequate DHA throughout their growing years.
I recommend smoked oysters, toxin free fatty fish (more raw/rare side if possible), or a extremely high quality Cod liver oil (I like jigsaw health, their Cod Livers are harvested under non oxidative conditions). I would strongly advise against most fish oil or low quality fish, as DHA can easily oxidize, so choosing a high quality source is beyond important.
Oysters I like: Crown prince smoked oysters, or sprotts smoked oysters
Cod Liver Oil: Jigsaw health
Fish: Seatopia, Bakkafrost salmon
Fish eggs: Wild caught fish eggs from wholefoods
Till next time,
Scott